New owners of beloved Warner Robins coffee shop buy a popular doughnut spot

A classic pairing of coffee and doughnuts just got a little sweeter in Warner Robins with the blending of two popular spots: Little Light Coffee Co. and Mini Dixie Donuts.

Jaimi and Kevin Norrell, who took over Little Light Coffee Co. about a month ago in mid-March, are the new owners of Mini Dixie Donuts.

The Norrells are blending the two businesses, bringing the mini doughnuts to the coffee shop in about a week and adding the specialty coffees to the doughnut shop in about a month once they’ve installed a new espresso machine. The exception will be the coffee flights, a sampling of Little Light Coffee Co. coffees that will remain exclusive to the coffee shop.

For Jaimi Norrell, the perfect pairing of the two businesses is a story that comes full circle.

“It all goes back to Mini Dixie Donuts used to be where Little Light is,” she said. “They (the owners) were friends, and then, I, of course, got to meet them all afterward. So it’s all like a full circle moment for us.”

Beginnings

Sophia Smith first started Little Light Coffee Co. as an espresso bar in March 2021. She often partnered for events with Ashley James, who started Mini Dixie Donuts almost a year earlier in April 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2022, Smith opened the Little Light Coffee Co. storefront at 4027 Watson Blvd., Suite 220, in the Galleria Suites — the former and original location of Mini Dixie Donuts before it moved across town to 1003 Russell Parkway.

The Russell Parkway site is an outparcel in a parking lot in front of Van’s Pawn Mart and Steak-Out Charbroiled Delivery. The small doughnut shop includes inside space to view the doughnuts made on site and features a drive-thru on the back side, as well as two picnic tables outside the front entrance.

James and Smith kept doing events together before Smith later retired the coffee cart.

When Smith announced Little Light Coffee Co. was up for sale in February, the Norrells decided they wanted to buy their favorite coffee shop and keep its sense of community and fellowship going. They also decided to bring the espresso bar back for catering events.

Now, the Norrells want to do the same thing with Mini Dixie Donuts, which James said she is leaving behind to fully pursue her career as a flight attendant.

“I started for a major U.S. airline about three years ago and just trying to be present and available and continue to build on what we have here and be present in the community and flying full-time has been quite challenging, especially in the summer when there’s more flying,” James said. “But we’ve managed to make it work.”

Meanwhile, Smith is preparing for the inevitable move that comes with a spouse in the Air Force and wants to concentrate on family.

“We love these two,” Jaimi Norrell said of Smith and James, “because we all have the same hearts. We’re trying to help the community and be active with everybody and help other people.”

The Norrells didn’t learn that Mini Dixie Donuts was up for sale until after purchasing Little Light Coffee Co.

To end up with such a pairing is a God thing, Kevin Norrell said.

“You couldn’t make it up,” Norrell said. “We didn’t intend to have a doughnut shop.”

Passing the torch

As they did with Little Light Coffee Co., the Norrells are keeping what made Mini Dixie Donuts popular and building upon it. The doughnut shop is known best for its mini bites of deliciousness.

“We couldn’t imagine it any other way: the two going together, especially the history between the two, and we thought it would be perfect,” said Jaimi Norrell of the blending of the two businesses as she practiced icing the doughnuts. “So, we’ll have coffee here and then we’ll take doughnuts there.”

As they retained the staff of the coffee shop, the Norrells also are keeping James’ sidekick, Heather Manning, on staff at the doughnut shop.

The Norrells expect to be back and forth between their coffee and doughnut shops. Their 18-year-old son, Kaden Norrell, will be the chief doughnut maker at Mini Dixie Donuts. He and his dad were also learning the ropes Monday from James.

“It’s truly bittersweet,” said James, whose last day as owner of Mini Dixie Donuts was Saturday. “I have really high highs and there are some lows.

“But it’s really wonderful to see it continue on and to hand the keys over, pass the torch, if you will, to people that have several businesses and they’re great, like-minded people. I think they’re going to do really great things here. It’ll be cool to come back and be a customer and buy doughnuts and support them in the community as well.”

In 2017, the Norrells started Hands of Grace Medical Clinic and Homeless Outreach, a non-profit ministry that began as a free medical clinic for those without insurance in Warner Robins and transitioned to a free mobile clinic for the needy and homeless that sets up in Macon. The mobile clinic rolls into Carolyn Crayton Park the second Saturday of the month.

In 2021, they started Full Circle Health and Wellness, which offers holistic options for medically supervised weight loss, IV hydration and infusions, peptide therapy and more. They have four locations, including one in Middle Georgia at 158 South Houston Lake Road, Suite 9, in Houston Commons in Warner Robins.

For now, Mini Dixie Donuts will keep its regular hours of 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The number is 478-951-4670.

This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM.